If you love fall iced coffee, this pumpkin cream shaken espresso is one of my favorite espresso drinks to make when the weather starts getting cooler. It has the brown sugar and cinnamon flavor of a Starbucks-style shaken espresso, but instead of finishing it with oat milk, I top it with creamy pumpkin cold foam and a dusting of pumpkin spice.
I first started making shaken espressos when my daughter was a Starbucks barista and they were still a fairly new drink. She gave me the insider tips on how they were supposed to be made, including why you actually want some of the ice to melt when you shake hot espresso.
Adding pumpkin cream to it for fall seemed like a no-brainer. Now it’s one of those drinks I look forward to making when pumpkin season rolls around. And now…Starbucks has added it to the official fall menu!
Best of all, besides the amazing taste, you don’t need bottles of brown sugar syrup or pumpkin spice sauce to make it.
Why You’ll Love This Pumpkin Shaken Espresso Recipe
- You can make it with regular brown sugar – If you don’t have brown sugar syrup on hand, just use light brown sugar. No extra syrup-making step needed.
- It has real pumpkin flavor – The cold foam is made with pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice, so you get actual pumpkin flavor instead of just a pumpkin-flavored syrup.
- It’s a Starbucks-style drink you can make at home – I learned a few of the tricks for making a proper shaken espresso from my daughter when she was a Starbucks barista. This is my fall version with pumpkin cold foam.
- The pumpkin cold foam works on other drinks, too – Once you have it made, try it on cold brew, iced coffee or chai.
- You can make it dairy-free – The Starbucks regular brown sugar shaken espresso uses oat milk. For a dairy-free version, use barista-style oat milk in the pumpkin cold foam instead of heavy cream.
Ingredients Needed
For the Shaken Espresso
- Ice
- Blonde roast espresso
- Light brown sugar or brown sugar syrup
- Ground cinnamon
For the Pumpkin Cold Foam
- Heavy cream
- Milk
- Vanilla syrup
- Pumpkin puree
- Pumpkin pie spice
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Espresso
Starbucks uses blonde roast espresso in its brown sugar shaken espresso, and that’s what I use here, too. I like it because the lighter roast lets the brown sugar and pumpkin flavors come through, but you can use whatever espresso you normally make at home.
Brown Sugar
You can use homemade brown sugar syrup, store-bought syrup or plain light brown sugar. I usually just grab the brown sugar from the pantry rather than making a separate syrup for one drink.
Cinnamon
A little ground cinnamon goes into the shaker with the espresso and brown sugar. It adds some warm spice without turning the espresso into a pumpkin spice drink.
Heavy Cream
Heavy cream gives the pumpkin cold foam enough body to sit on top of the drink. For a dairy-free version, use barista-style oat milk instead.
Milk
The milk keeps the cold foam from getting too thick. You want it thick enough to sit on the drink but still soft and pourable.
Vanilla Syrup
Vanilla syrup adds sweetness to the pumpkin cold foam and gives it that coffee-shop cold foam flavor.
Pumpkin Puree
Use 100% pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. You only need a couple of tablespoons, so this is a good way to use up a little leftover pumpkin from another recipe.
Pumpkin Pie Spice
Pumpkin pie spice gives the cold foam its pumpkin pie flavor and works well with the cinnamon and brown sugar in the espresso.
Love pumpkin cold foam? Try it on an iced chai latte or cold brew for two more easy pumpkin drinks. → Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai | Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew
How to Make a Pumpkin Cream Shaken Espresso
Detailed recipe and instructions are in recipe card at bottom of post.
- Make the pumpkin cold foam. Add the cold pumpkin puree, milk, and vanilla syrup to a chilled bowl. Froth with a handheld frother until smooth. Add the heavy cream and pumpkin pie spice and froth until thick and foamy. If it isn’t as thick as you’d like, put it in the freezer for a couple of minutes, then froth again.
- Brew the espresso. Brew a double shot of blonde roast espresso.
- Shake the espresso. Add ice, brown sugar or brown sugar syrup, hot espresso, and cinnamon to a shaker. Shake vigorously for about 20 seconds. Some of the ice will melt, and that’s exactly what you want. It chills and dilutes the espresso.
- Assemble the drink. Pour the shaken espresso over fresh ice in a tall glass, leaving room for the cold foam.
- Top with pumpkin cold foam. Spoon the pumpkin cold foam over the espresso. Sprinkle with a little pumpkin pie spice if desired.
Recipe Notes & Tips
- Chill the cold foam ingredients. Cold ingredients and a chilled bowl help the cream froth properly.
- Don’t worry about melting ice. Some of the ice should melt when you shake the hot espresso. That’s what chills and dilutes the drink. Use regular brown sugar. You don’t need brown sugar syrup to make this recipe.
- Give the cold foam another quick froth if needed. If it isn’t thick enough, put it in the freezer for a couple of minutes and froth again.
- Use oat milk for a dairy-free version. Barista-style oat milk works best in the pumpkin cold foam.
How to Use the Pumpkin Cold Foam
The pumpkin cold foam is useful beyond this drink, too. I make it for cold brew and iced chai all the time once pumpkin season gets going.
If you want all my tips for getting homemade pumpkin cold foam to the right consistency, see How to Make Pumpkin Cold Foam.
More Starbucks Pumpkin Drinks
If pumpkin drinks are making their way back into your coffee rotation, here are a few more pumpkin recipes to try.
- Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew
- Starbucks Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai
- Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino
- Pumpkin Spice Crème Frappuccino
- Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Crème Steamer
Pumpkin Cream Shaken Espresso (Starbucks Copycat)
This pumpkin-topped brown sugar shaken espresso recipe combines two Starbucks favorites: a brown sugar shaken espresso and pumpkin cold foam. Together, this creamy pumpkin spice drink has everything you could want in a fall-flavored iced coffee. This recipe makes the equivalent of a grande Starbucks drink.
Ingredients
For the Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso
- 2 cups ice
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar syrup or light brown sugar
- 2 ounces brewed blonde roast espresso
- Dash of ground cinnamon
For the Pumpkin Cold Foam
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 2½ tablespoons milk
- 2½ tablespoons vanilla syrup
- 2 tablespoons pumpkin puree
- ¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
- Chill the pumpkin cold foam ingredients and a small bowl or jar.
- Add pumpkin puree, heavy cream, milk, vanilla syrup and pumpkin pie spice to the chilled bowl. Froth with a handheld milk frother until smooth and thick. (If you don't have a frother use a lid with a jar and shake it vigorously for one minute.) If needed, freeze for a couple of minutes and froth again.
- Brew a double shot of espresso.
- Add ice, brown sugar or brown sugar syrup, espresso and cinnamon to a drink shaker or large jar with a lid.
- Shake vigorously for 20 seconds. Some ice will melt as the espresso chills and dilutes.
- Pour the shaken espresso into a tall glass filled with fresh ice.
- Top with the pumpkin cold foam. Sprinkle with additional pumpkin pie spice if desired.
Notes
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 1 Serving Size: 16 ouncesAmount Per Serving: Calories: 270Total Fat: 15gCarbohydrates: 31gSugar: 29gProtein: 2g